Umpire&#39;s signal jacket



' Dec. 29, 1931I w. D. Ml'i'CHELL ET AL UMPIRE S IGNAL JACKET F i led Jan. 4, 1930 Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UN TEL iTM-ES- PATENT E? FD- F H 'L- N 303E131 Ci ALBU R Y, or TAMPA, 31.631131; 1

' Application 'filedJanuary; 4, mad-scrim No. 418,583.

The present invention is an indicating or signal device to beIworn by persons. The in:v vention isiof general application and may be used by umpires or referees ofvarious sports '5 or games, tr'aflici oflicers, orjby .such person who desires tolcommunicate certain signals to, others. However, for the presentv disclosure, the device iskshown'inthe form of a baseball umpires signal ',.which Will indicate thenumber-of .Fballs, strikes, oro1i ts-" which occur duringthegame. I

So far as it is known at present, a device in theform ofa; jacket has not-been provided heretofore, particularly as a3 referee or umpire signalling device. V

The object of the presentinvention is; the provision of a signalling device, for the purposes above indicated, which :is win the form of a bodyatta'chmnt to be worn ,byand sup- 20 ported on thebodyof aperson with signal devices thereon, which maybe selectively operated at. will to give-the desired informa tion to other-sat a distance, andpwhichmay be readily adjusted to proper positionfon the body of the wearer and detachedvtherefrom.

Another objectof theinventionisaa sig nalling dGVIlCGlOf the: stated .character, which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and whichwill be n durable in ;use andief'fective for the purposesintended. Another .obj ect of the invention is the provision a of: .a signalling device of, the above stated character'foriuse'by umpires and referees. with thezsignal indicating elements thereon to bepositioned at; the. back of, the wearer, and. with a -signal control-device thereon located for convenient operation by the hands .ofZt-the wearer, and which 1 device will. not-impedelthe movement. or; locomotion of the wearer, and which .permitslfree use functions. a

" The invention further resides in sundry details of. construction, combination and arr rangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and: pointed outfin the appended of the hands for. other; purposes and In order thatam'or e definite. understand ing of the present invention may be had, one fform er the invention, particularly adapted signal forreferees and umpires, is illustrated in the accompanying-drawings, in which; v Fig. 1 is aperspective view of the signah ling device in its} extended form and 1 as, it Wouldappear when on the body of an 'indi- 55 vidual, and illustrating in, particular he front and one sideof-thedevice; r r Fig.;.2 is, another perspective viewpf the device in extended form and illustratingpap ticularly the back and the other side ofthe no device; and t Fig.3 is an elevation of the deviceswhen Opened up and .not being worm-and .illustr at-v ing' the details .of construction-and arrange: mentof its variousparts. 3 e5 Referring-.tothe drawings in detail in which like characters refer to. similar; and like parts throughout the several views, 1Q denotes a body-encircling part of flexible material this part being inthe formv of a belt 70 which will surroundthe abdominal section of the wearers person.- An'uppered-geof the body-encircling part 10 is formedwith an upward extension 11; designed .tobe positioned' and lie againstthe back of the wearer 7,5

and toterminate at any point belowthe neck thereof. a The body-encircling portiorrlOhas fastener means 12, such as,.;inthe 'presentinf stance, ,a strap and". buckle, at its opposite ends,which will secure the portion-lQabout ,80 the abdominalsection of the wearer,. -;when f positioned; thereabout. The device is supported, preferably but not necessarily,-from the shoulders of the wearer, and in thisconne'ction, it is preferred to use a pair of'shoulder-straps 13, which; have one of theirj oppor site ends secured to theupper edge oft-he backextension 11 andthe'ir other vendsrsecured to suitable portions of: the body-encire clingpart' 10 at or near those portions thereof ,90 which will lie in front of the wearer.

Thus it-willbe seen that the de ice takes the form of a jacket which may be worn pver the clothesof the wearer and which may be readilyslipped on and ofl' without diflioulty. 9

Secured to the outer face; of the .back] extension llvis an indicator 14, in whichis ar;

ranged signal members. These signal members may beofi any particularform, constructioinor design, but for the purposes-of the 19 present disclosure, consist of electric lights 15, which are mounted in suitable sockets 16 positioned and suitably located in the signal box. The lights may be covered by caps 17 having translucent lenses or covers 18, and which caps are detachably secured to the box.

, The electric lights 15 are supplied with suitable current from a battery 19 disposed in a pocket 20 positioned on the outer face of the body-encircling part 10 and below the indicator 14.

Since the device herein illustrated is a baseball umpires signalling device, the signal members 15 are positioned in three rows, (1, b and c, and for convenience and to permit the signals to be easily discerned, the lights 15, or the translucent members 18, in the various rows are of different colors. In the row a, there are four signal members, which will indicate the number of balls. In row 6 there are three signals to indicate the number of outs and similarly in row 0 to indicate the number of strikes. There may be additional rows of signal members 15 to indicate any other information it is desired to communicate.

The signal members 15 in each row, a, b and 0, are operatively connected with a signal control device 21 positioned on the front portion of the body-encircling part 10, so that the same may be easily reached and manipulated by the wearer. Since the present disclosure shows the signal members as electric lights 15, the operative connection between them and the signal control device 21 are electrical connections which extend through a cord or cable 22 from the signal box or indicator 14 to the control device 21.

On the control device are arranged a plurality of manually operable members 21a, each in circuit with one of the electric lights 15. The control device 21 is in the form of a flat box or receptacle in which the electric conductors in the cable 22 extend and have connection with a suitable switch operated by the manually operable members 21a.

On one side w of the central device 21 is arranged four control members 21a, each of which is connected with one of the signals 15 in the row a of the indicator 14. On the side 1 of the control device 21 are three manually control devices 21a, each having connection with one of the signals 15 in the row a of the indicator 14, and on the bottom side a of the control device 21 are three manually controlled members 21a, each having connection with one of the signals 15 in the row I) of the indicator 14.

From the above, it will be obvious that when a strike, ball or out is made, the umpire will actuate the proper manually operable element 21a and the proper indication will appear on the indicator 14 on his back, which indications will be clearly visible to those in the grand-stand in the back of the umpire.

The present device is of such construction that it will not hinder or prevent the umpire from wearing a chest protector under or over the indicating device.

On the side portions of the body-encircling part 10 are provided pockets 24, in which the umpire may retain balls or other accessories incident to the game. The indicating jacket may be made vertically adjustable on the body of the wearer through the button-hole connection 23, or any other suitable means of adjustment.

It is now a common practice among umpires to use small pebbles, or other hand indicator, for keeping them constantly reminded as to the number of balls and strikes. The signal control device 21 and its manually operable switch members 21a serve a three-fold purpose; namely, first, as an indicator for the umpire sensitive to touch by which he can readily determine, play by play, by the position of the manual control members 2111, the number of strikes or balls against the player, as well as the number of cuts in each inning, and, secondly, as a selective operable switch for the signals 15 on the indicator 14; and, thirdly, as an indicator sensitive to the touch by which the operator may determine what signals have been made or are showing to the rear of him.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A referees signal device including a support of flexible material to be worn on the body of a person and having front and rear portions, means for detachably securing the support in place on the body, an indicator mounted on the rear portion of the support and having a plurality of signal members thereon arranged in groups to indicate certain related score points of a contest and positioned to be visible to those in back of the wearer, signal control means for each group of signals disposed on the front portion of the support to be readily accessible to the hands of the wearer, and an operative connection between said signal control means and said signals, said signal control means comprising a plurality of operable elements capable of assuming and retaining a signalling and non-signalling position whereby the signals may be selectively operated and the operator may determine by touch signals previously made. i

2. A referees signal device including a body-encircling member of flexible material to be worn on the body of a person, an indicator mounted on the rear portion of said body member so as to be disposed in the back of the wearer, when the device is worn, a plurality of electric lights on said indicator arranged in groups each indicating respectively balls, strikes, and outs or the like, a signal control device positioned on the front part of said body-encircling member and com prising a plurality of snap switches arranged in groups corresponding to said signal lights and each movable by a plurality of positions determinable by touch, a source of electrical energy removably disposed on said body-encircling member, electric circuits between each of said switches, a corresponding signal light and said source of electrical supply,

and means for detachably securing the body member in position on the wearer.

3. An umpire or referee signalling device comprising a body-encircling belt having an upward extension at its rear portion, supporting shoulder straps connecting the front portion and rear extension of said body-encircling member, a plurality of electric lights mounted on said extension and arranged in groups to indicate balls, strikes, and outs respectively, each group of lights being of dif ferent color than that of the other groups, a plurality of counting pieces positioned on the front part of the belt portion to be readily accessible to the hands of the wearer and arranged in groups corresponding to said lights, and each movable to a plurality of positions determinable by touch, switches operable bysaid counting pieces, a source of electrical energy carried by said belt, and

electric circuits between each of said switches, a corresponding signal light and said source of electrical supply,

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

WILLIAM D. MITCHELL.

ROBERT C. ALBURY. 

